Oven drier



Sept. 15, 1953 A. J. KISSKALT 2,651,849

OVEN DRIER Filed April 2, 1949 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 FIE-.1

INVENTOR 40AM d. K/SS/(Al 7" ATTORNEYS Sept. 15, 1953 A. J. KISSKALT 2,651,849

OVEN DRIER Filed April 2, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'uum (5' I mrrm llllll INVENTOR. AflA/W J. KISS/(AA 7' Patentecl Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVEN DRIER Adam; J, Kisskalt, Grosse Pointe, Mich, assignor to,Mechanical Handling Systems Inc., Detroit, Mich. acorporation of Michigan Application April 2, 1949, Serial No. 85,100

18 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to processing equipment for inducing the flow oflfiuid through porous material, and more particularly to equipment for producing multi-directional fi'ow.

The curing and drying offoam-rubber slab stock by forcing h'otair or steam through said stock has presented apec'uliar problem where, as is frequently the case, thestock' is cored out on one side leaving relatively thin walls between the bottomof the cores and the opposite side of the material as well as between adjacent cores. if the air or steam is induced-to flow merely from one side to the other, it naturally flows through the passages of least resistance leaving the walls between adjacent cores subject merely to surface rather than through effects In order to meet this problem; the present invention is directed to provide mechanismfor establishin pressure difierential's between different areas on the same side as well as between opposite sides of the slab material in-a mannerwhereby flow may be induced through the walls separating individual cores as well as betWeen-the-bottom of the cores and the opposite sideof the material.

This general and the more specific objects of my invention will become apparent from an examination of the following detailed description of a particular embodiment of my invention as well as from the drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the compartments of 'an'oven drier embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view or" the air ducts, conveyor belt and cored stock shown in Fig. 1; and

4 is a perspective view of the ends of the air ducts shown in Fig. 3.

The oven generally comprises an elongated structure having an enclosed rectangular cross section as shown in Fig. 2. A'series of adjacent individual compartments II) are provided in the lower half of the oven; being defined by sheet metal walls II which leave a large square opening H2 at the top and. leadto a relatively small circular opening l3 at the bottom. These compartments are placed adjacent to each other throughout the length of the oven, although only one of them is shown in Fig. 1.

A series of transverseair .ductslal are mounted across the top of the flanges 15' at theupper end of the compartmentwall's ,l I, such air ducts being spaced apart .from'each othe'r as shown at it in Fig. 3 and being provided .with'openings ll extending from end to end along: their upper surface. These air' ducts lfl communicate at their ends with the side chambersIlB- shown in Fig. 2 whi in urn ommunicat with e u pe a ber 19 of the ovenwhich is open throughout the length thereof. The openings it between adjacent ducts Hi are sealed off at either end, for example, by overlapping fianges 20 at the ends of the ducts.

A strip of angle stool; it extends alon the upper side of the ends of the air ducts throughout the length of the oven and a perforate conveyor belt 22, preferably constructed of perforated sheet metaL-is provided to run along the top surface 23 of the air ducts between the angles 2i. The conveyor belt 22 preferably extends outside the oven at either end for loading and unloading purposes, and the cored porous stock 24 to be processed in the oven is loaded on the conveyor belt in a manner covering as completely as possible the surface of the belt which runs through the oven.

Individual fans 25 are provided beneath the openings it of each of the compartments Hi and are adapted to maintain a low pressure within such chambers. Air drawn through the chamber lb and opening (3 is recirculated to the side chambers iii and topcharnber it, being divided between a passage through heating coils 26 and an unheated passage 2i by adjustable baffles 28 in a manner which permits the air in the oven to be maintained at desired temperature. Individual settings of the baffles 28 for the individual compartments ii) also permits the temperature level to be varied along the length of the oven. Where a drying operation is involved, it is possible to regulate thesectional pressures in a manner causing a general drift from one end of the oven to the other, as well as circulation through the stock in order to provide a discharge for the saturated air.

It will be seen from the above description that the relatively low pressure of the chambers It communicates into the spaces [6 between the air ducts I l, and that the relatively high pressures established in the open section of the oven I8 and it communicate with the interior -29 of the air ducts; and that appropriate spacing of the openings ii and it permit such relatively low and high pressures to becominunicated to adjacent cores such as 35 and 3!, in Fig. 3, through the perforated conveyor belt 22 in a manner such as to induce flow through the walls 32 between such cores, as well as'to induce flow through the walls 33 separating the cores from the opposite side of the porous material thereby providing a more efiective flow through all sections of the cored stock than would be possible by merely establishing pressure differentials on opposite sides.

While a particular embodiment of. my invention has been described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications in detailed construction and in application are pos- 3 sible without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. Mechanism for inducing the flow of fluid through porous slab material, which material is cored out on one side providing relatively thin sections between the bottom of the cores and the opposite side as well as between the adjacent cores, characterized by a source of relatively low pressure fluid, a source of relatively high pressure fluid, and a housing defining a plurality of pas- Sages terminating in closely adjacent areas of a common surface substantially contiguous with the cored surface of said porous material, adjacent passages alternately communicating with each of said sources, said areas being adapted to be substantially'covered by the cored side of said porous material.

2. Mechanism for inducing the flow of fluid through porous slab material, which material is cored out on one side providing relatively thin sections between the bottom of the cores and the opposite side as well as between the adjacent cores, characterized by a source of relatively low pressure fluid, a source of relatively high pressure fluid and a housing defining a plurality of passages terminating in closely adjacent areas of a common surface substantially contiguous with the cored surface of said porous material, said areas being adapted to be substantially covered by the cored side of said porous material and said passages alternately communicating with each of said sources and being spaced to provide a pressure differential between adjacent cores.

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein conveyor mechanism is included to provide relative sliding motion between said material and said passages.

4. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the minimum spacing along said surface between areas of pressure differential is greater than the averag distance across one of said cores taken in the same direction, and wherein said spacing between said areas is less than sufficient to extend across two of said cores.

5. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1. wherein said housing also provides a communicating p ssage between one of said sources and the side of said material opposite said cored surface in a manner adapted to induce flow through the porous Walls between said opposite side and the bottom of said cores.

6. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein further mechanism is included to provide a relative sliding motion between said material and said passages, and wherein a communicating passage is also provided between one of said sources and the side of said materia1 opposite said cored surface in a manner adapted to induce flow through the porous walls between said opposite side and the bottom of said cores.

'7. Mechanism for inducing the flow of fluid through porous slab material characterized by a foraminous conveyor belt adapted to carry such slab material, sources of relatively low and relatively high pressure fluid, and a housing defining a plurality of passages terminating in closely adjacent areas substantially contiguous with the lower surface of said conveyor belt, adjacent passages alternately communicating with each of said sources, the carrying surface of said conveyor belt being adapted to substantially cover said areas in a manner whereby a flow of fluid may be induced from high to low pressure passages through porous passages of said materia1 iii 4 beginning and terminating at the surface of said conveyor belt. I V w a 8. Mechanism as set forth in claim '7 wherein the porous slab material is cored out on the conveyor belt side leaving walls of porous material between adjacent cores, and wherein the spacing of the high and low pressure areas is adapted to establish high and low pressure fluid in adjacent cores thereby to induc the flow of fluid through the porous walls separating such cores.

9. An oven drier for porous slab material cored out on one side in a manner leaving relatively thin walls between adjacent cores as well as between the bottom of the cores and the other side of the material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor belt passing through said chamber, a fan adapted to draw air through said conveyor belt and porous slab material loaded thereon, and a housing defining passages communicating between the uncored side of said material and isolated areas on the surface of the cored side thereof, the spacing of said areas being adapted to induce flow through the porous walls between adjacent cores.

10. An oven drier for porous slab material cored out on one side in a manner leaving relatively thin walls between adjacent cores as well as between the bottom of the cores and the other side of the material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor belt passing through said chamber, a fan adapted to force air through said conveyor belt and porous slab material loaded thereon, a plurality of parallel ducts extending transversely of and directly contacted by said conveyor belt, and a longitudinal opening in said ducts adjacent the cored surface of material loaded on said conveyor belt, the ends of said ducts communicating openly with the uncored side of said material.

11. Mechanism for inducing the flow of fluid through porous slab material cored out on one side in a manner leaving relatively thin walls between adjacent cores as well as between the bottom of the cores and the other side of said material comprising a chamber, a foraminous conveyor belt passing through said chamber adapted to carry said porous slab material, and mechanism for establishing relatively high and low fluid pressure on opposite sides of said conveyor belt and loaded material, and a plurality of parallel ducts extending transversely across and directly contacted by said conveyor belt and having longitudinal openings communicating with the cored surface of said material, the ends of said ducts also communicating openly with the chamber on the uncored side of the material.

12. Mechanism for inducing the flow of fluid through porous slab material cored out on one side in a manner leaving relatively thin walls between adjacent cores as Well as between the bottom of the cores and the other side of said material comprising a chamber, a foraminous conveyor belt passing through said chamber and adapted to carry said porous slab material, mechanism for establishing relatively high and low pressure fluid on opposite sides of said conveyor belt and loaded material, and a plurality of parallel ducts separated from each other directly contacted by said conveyor belt and having longitudinal openings communicating with the cored surface of said material, the ends of said ducts also communicating openly with the chamber on the uncored side of said material, the distance between said duct openings and the separations between adjacent ducts along the surface of said porous material being adapted to create a fluid pressure difierential between adjacent cores in a manner inducing flow through the walls separating such cores.

13. An oven drier for porous slab material cored out on one side in a manner leaving relatively thin walls between adjacent cores as well as between the bottom of the cores on the other side of said material comprising a chamber, a foraminous conveyor belt passing through said chamber adapted to carry said porous material, a fan adapted to create a pressure differential on opposite sides of said conveyor belt and slab material for inducing a flow therethrough, and a plurality of parallel ducts extending transversely across and directly contacted by said conveyor belt separated from each other and having longitudinal openings communicating with the cored surface of said. material, the ends of said ducts also communicating openly with the chamber on the uncored side of said material, the spacing between said openings and the separations be tween said ducts along the surface of said material being adapted to create pressure differentials between adjacent cores as said slab material passes across the openings of said ducts and the separations therebetween.

14. An oven drier for porous material compris ing an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor adapted to carry said material through said chamber, a plurality of compartments below said conveyor communicating directly with and substantially covered by the undersuriace thereof, each of said compartments having a duct communicating with the topside of said conveyor, means for establishing a pressure within each of said compartments varying from that gen erally prevailing in said oven chamber, said ducts connecting at the bottom of said compartments and the communicating passageways extending past at least one side or" said conveyor as well as the sides of the compartments thereunder, and a fan being provided in each duct adapted to draw air therethrough in order to create a pressure differential between said compartment and said oven chamber, said fan being mounted on a vertical axis and having a driveshaft extending through the bottom of the oven chamber.

15. An oven drier for porous material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor adapted to carry said material through said chamber, a plurality of compartments below said conveyor communicating directly with and substantiall covered by the undersurface thereof, each of said compartments having a duct communicating with the topside of said conveyor, said ducts connecting at the bottom of said compartments, the communicating passageways extending past at least one side of said conveyor as well as the sides of the compartments thereunder, a fan being provided in each duct adapted to draw air therethrough in order to create a pressure differential between said compartment and said oven chamber, said fan being mounted on a vertical axis and having a driveshaft extending through the bottom of said oven chamber, and a drive motor located laterally on the outside of said chamber adapted to rotate said driveshait.

16. An oven drier for porous material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor adapted to carry said porous material through said chamber, a plurality of compartments below said conveyor communicating directly with and substantially covered by the underside thereof, each of said compartments having an opening in its underside, a fan on a vertical axis adapted to draw air through each of said openings, laterally extending ducts under each of said compartments and past the sides of said conveyor and said compartments adapted to establish communication with the top of said conveyor in a manner whereby separate flow-inducing pressures may be established in each of said compartments for particularly controlling the flow through the material on the conveyor immediately above such compartment and at the same time causing the air to recirculate through the generally open chamber above the conveyor.

17. An oven drier for porous material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor adapted to carry said porous material through said chamber, a plurality of compartments below said conveyor each communicating directly with and substantially covered by the lower surface of the conveyor immediately thereabove, an opening through the bottom of each of said compartments, laterally extending ducts below said compartrnents and past the side of said conveyor and said compartments adapted to establish communication between said opening and the upper side of said conveyor, air circulating means, and variable heating controls associated with each of said compartments for separately controlling the temperature of air flowing through each of said compartments, said heating controls being located in the ducts under said compartments.

18. An oven drier for porous material comprising an oven chamber, a foraminous conveyor adapted to carry said porous material through said chamber, a, plurality of compartments below said conveyor each communicating directly with and substantially covered by the lower surface of the conveyor immediately thereabove, an opening through the bottom of each of said compartments, a fan in each of said openings, laterally extending ducts below said compartments and past the side or" said conveyor and said compartments adapted to establish communication between said opening and the upper side of said conveyor, and variable heating controls associated with each of said compartments for separately controlling the temperature of air flowing through each of said compartments, said heating controls being located in the ducts under said compartments, the upper side of said conveyor being generally open to accommodate a drift of air from one end of the oven chamber to the other while continuously recirculating through the various compartments, the separate heating controls being adapted to provide a changing temperature of the recirculating air from one end of the oven chamber to the other.

ADAM J. KISSKALT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,455,755 Allsop et a1 May 15, 1923 1,749,584 Hurxthal Mar. 4, 1930 1,804,558 Haas May 12, 1931 2,130,665 Bradner Sept. 20, 1938 2,133,330 Offen Oct. 18, 1938 2,252,585 Swanson et al. Aug. 12, 1941 2,265,071 Hartenbach Dec. 2, 1941 2,378,703 Hanson June 19, 1945 2,462,380 Gautreau Feb. 22, 1949 

